Tips for Making Soy Yogurt at Home

You don't have to like dairy products to enjoy the many benefits of yogurt. Soy makes a great creamy yogurt that is yummy whether you are vegan or not.

Soy milk is an extract of the soybean, a member of the legume family (beans, peas, lentils, carob and peanuts). According to the US Food and Drug Administration, soy is a complete protein and is a good substitutes for animal products.

Soy has no cholesterol, is very low in saturated fat and contains Omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and vitamins A, B1, B2 and B6.

Soy milk has a mild aroma and nice nutty, not beany, taste. It is easy to flavor and, except for all the many healthy benefits, you will never know it isn't dairy milk.

Tips for Making Soy Yogurt

Although you can make soy yogurt without pre-scalding, you may find that, as with dairy milk, unfolding or denaturation the proteins will help product thicker yogurt.

If you do not pre-scald, bring the soy milk to room temperature before adding the culture.

Depending on the type of thickener used, heating the soy milk may be necessary.

Soy milk will scorch if cooked at too high a temperature so treat it like dairy milk by using a moderate heat and stirring often. Use a thermometer for best results.

Since soy lacks lactose (milk sugar), you must add a small amount of sugar to feed the friendly bacterial that causes the fermentation.

If you use sweetened soy milk, check the ingredients. Artificial sweeteners will not promote fermentation and some sweeteners such as apple juice are too acidic and will interfere with the process.

Soy is lower in fat than whole milk. Since lower fat content produces thinner yogurt, a thickener is recommended for soy yogurt.

While it's possible to make yogurt with low fat soy, most users prefer the full fat version.

Agar and pectin are popular thickeners for soy yogurt but try using a soy protein power as a great way to add even more healthy protein to the batch.

Use Yolife non-dairy yogurt starter for a complete vegan experience.

More Health Benefits of Soy

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) endorses soy's cholesterol-lowering effects and its ability to lower the risk of heart disease.

The American Medical Association (JAMA) recommends several daily servings of soy to protect against the risk of breast cancer. Soy has also been shown to reduce the risks of prostate and colon cancers.

Soy is well known for alleviating menopause symptoms such as hot flashes.